Her guards

Chapter 247 The Second Day

As soon as it was light, the area in front of the ancestral hall in Weijiabao was already crowded with people.

Yesterday's banquet and entertaining guests were so tiring that I barely slept all night. Now, I've been summoned early to the ancestral hall to wait for the newlyweds, and everyone looks extremely grim.

"Why do you still need to worship at the ancestral hall? Doesn't the family forbid him from going near the ancestral hall?"

"The bride is entering the house."

"A new bride follows her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog. If her husband isn't qualified to worship at the ancestral hall, then naturally she isn't either."

"Yesterday we paid our respects to Heaven and Earth, and the General drank the tea offered in return; that was enough."

"Haven't you heard? This bride is the emperor's daughter."

"Ha, what is Deng Shan's daughter compared to us in Longxi?"

They don't even consider Deng Shan a threat.

Although Wei Cui made all the decisions regarding the Wei family, and everyone listened to his advice, this marriage still shocked everyone.

Sending Wei Jiao to Deng Shan as a hostage was met with applause and cheers, as it would appease Deng Shan and get rid of this scourge. But what about marrying Deng Shan's daughter into the family?
There was much discussion outside the ancestral hall, while inside, several elders of the Wei clan were frowning.

"If we become in-laws with Deng Shan, people will think that the General has other intentions."

"Although the General had informed the thirty-one generals and sixteen noble families of Longxi in advance about the wedding and told them that they did not need to come to congratulate him, I still heard rumors."

"I also heard that some people said the general wanted to follow Zhao Tan's example, to have Deng Shan's daughter give birth to the children of Deng and Wei, and then put her on the throne."

"How long will we have to wait? Until Deng Shan dies?"

"They have been allied with the General for more than ten years. How can they wait this long?"

"Hmph, some people had already lost their fighting spirit and secretly contacted Deng Shan, intending to surrender."

"We still need to do something to appease everyone."

Things happened very suddenly. Wei Cui made the decision himself. By the time they found out, the family was already preparing for the wedding, and Miss Yang had already set off from the capital.

It was too late to say anything; all we could do was bring them in.

While everyone was talking at once inside the ancestral hall, a voice came from the back.

How do we appease them?

The chattering fell silent as everyone watched Wei Cui walk in through the back door.

Although most people here are older than Wei Cui, they still stand up when they see him.

“After all, she is Deng Shan’s daughter.” An old man hesitated for a moment and said, “Send her and Wei Jiao to another courtyard and lock her up so that everyone can see that our Wei family married her because Deng Shan forced us to. Our Wei family will not respect her.”

Wei Cui sat down at the head of the table: "Now that she's married into the family, if we don't show her respect behind closed doors, who will care? This is just self-comfort."

Indeed, the elders frowned.

"Brother, are you really being coerced?" they asked.

Otherwise, why would she marry Deng Shan's daughter?

Even if he married a proper princess, it would be fine, but he was still an illegitimate daughter without a title.

Wei Cui smiled.

“I, Wei Cui, am not so easily coerced,” he said. “Why would I do something that doesn’t benefit me?”

What exactly are the benefits? That's what everyone is asking.

Wei Cui waved his hand: "It won't be long before everyone finds out."

After saying that, he asked outside.

"Is anyone here?"

……

.......
From the first light of dawn until the sun was high in the sky, no one had arrived.

The people outside the ancestral hall looked even more grim.

"Whose bride is sleeping at this hour!"

"It's probably not the bride's fault; that madman must have done it on purpose."

Amidst the grumbling, a servant finally announced that Wei Jiao and his bride had arrived.

Everyone took a deep breath and looked towards the courtyard gate.

Yesterday, not many people were willing to go over to Wei Jiao to see the bride. I wonder what Deng Shan's illegitimate daughter looks like.

Footsteps sounded, and someone came in.

But they weren't a newlywed couple; they were two eunuchs, followed by two palace maids.

The faces of the people standing in the courtyard turned grim once again.

The Wei family ancestral hall is a sacred place; even their servants are not allowed to approach it at will, let alone outsiders…

But the emperor's servants represented the emperor's authority in public and could not be offended, so people could only grit their teeth and bear it, while glaring fiercely at the doorway.

This time, a man and a woman walked in.

However, I still couldn't see it clearly because it was dazzling for a moment.

In my hazy vision, a figure was adorned with countless jewels, which shone dazzlingly in the sunlight.

People in the courtyard had to close their eyes or avoid looking at the woman who had walked in before they could adjust to seeing her.

She appeared somewhat thin, dressed in an ornate dress, her waist adorned with numerous accessories that almost completely obscured the dress's pattern, and her face...

Fair skin, dark eyebrows, and red lips.

Her makeup was stunning.

In addition, she was adorned with pearls and jade.

She looked like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

The people in the courtyard, regardless of age or gender, stared in stunned silence.

Is this kind of outfit fashionable in Beijing these days?
In contrast, Wei Jiao, dressed in red, walked beside the bride and appeared rather plain.

The bride was dressed in such splendid attire that it was almost blinding, and she ignored everyone else. She straightened herself and walked directly into the ancestral hall, seemingly oblivious to the Wei clan members waiting in the courtyard.

As they entered the ancestral hall, it became quiet.

When the servants brought the prayer mats for them to kowtow to their ancestors, the bride said, "According to custom, I should pay my respects to our ancestors with a grand ceremony, but my status is somewhat special, so I will simply offer a shallow bow instead."

Their identity is special.

The elders in the clan looked astonished.

They don't shy away from those rumors at all, and they're even proud of them.

"Then I don't need to pray anymore."

Wei Jiao, who had attracted attention the moment she appeared, but was almost forgotten by the people in the ancestral hall who were now covered by the peacock-like radiant bride, also spoke up.

"Since I married A Luo, my status is naturally special, and I can't just worship ancestors casually."

The clan elders looked at Wei Jiao with annoyance.

You've only gotten married, not been adopted, so why don't you acknowledge your ancestors?

Compared to the anger of others, Wei Cui remained calm and even smiled.

“Either is fine,” he said, looking at Ms. Yang, whose face was almost completely obscured by heavy makeup. “Ms. Yang, feel free to be casual at home.”

Miss Yang nodded with a smile: "The General is indeed easygoing. His Majesty said that I will not be mistreated after marrying into your family."

Wei Cui sighed softly: "I am also a father. Ajiao has been away from home to the capital for many years. I know better than anyone the pain of separation from loved ones."

Wei Jiao was about to speak with a smile when Miss Yang spoke first: "General, there is no need to be sad. Although Wei Jiao has left home, His Majesty cares for him in the capital and treats him like his own son. He has never suffered any grievances."

The elders in the ancestral hall were once again taken aback; Miss Yang's words were truly condescending.

She is a woman!
He's a junior!

She has absolutely no manners!
Wei Cui laughed again: "Yes, yes, Miss Yang is right."

Miss Yang smiled and said, "So, General, you must also take care of me."

Wei Cui smiled and nodded: "Of course. Not to mention His Majesty's care for me, A Jiao, you and I have been formally married, and you have paid homage to heaven and earth and our ancestors. You are a true member of the Wei family."

The elders in the ancestral hall scoffed inwardly, looking at Miss Yang. "You understand now, right? The emperor treating A-Jiao like his own son was just talk. But now it's different. You're a daughter-in-law of the Wei family. Our Wei family will show everyone what it means to be a son..."

The thought flashed through their minds as they saw Miss Yang step forward.

“Then, General, please build me a separate mansion,” she said.

The old men were stunned again. What?
Miss Yang sighed softly.

“Logically, I don’t need to go to my husband’s house when I get married,” she said. “But the Grand General proposed to His Majesty, and His Majesty respects the Grand General so he can only let me marry into this family. This isn’t the capital, so it’s inconvenient for His Majesty to grant me a residence here, therefore…”

She looked at Wei Cui and smiled sweetly.

"General, please build one for me."

……

……

"What kind of thing did they marry into the family?"

Night once again enveloped Weijiabao.

Although there was no banquet tonight, it was still noisy everywhere.

Seeing this bride at the ancestral hall today is simply unbelievable.

Such vulgar attire.

His words and actions were extremely arrogant.

"She doesn't even have the title of princess, yet she acts more like one!"

"I heard he grew up in the countryside, and he's certainly uncouth!"

"They even made the General build her a separate residence!"

"The General actually agreed!"

"No, we can't spoil her like this! What does she take the Wei family for!"

The elders in the ancestral hall gathered once again in Wei Cui's study, their faces flushed with anger.

Wei Cui, unperturbed by the commotion, smiled and said, "It was my oversight that I didn't tell everyone about Miss Yang."

After saying that, he gestured to Master Wei.

"Tell me, what did this Miss Yang do in the capital?"

Master Wei hurriedly said, "This Miss Yang first stole the title of disciple of Princess Pingcheng's chief priest in the capital, then mobilized the imperial guards to besiege Princess Pingcheng at the National Academy. She also disobeyed the Empress, beat up the young lady of the Yichun Marquis's mansion at the hunting grounds, and even drove a noble lady to the military camp in a fight over a man..."

The men inside were dumbfounded. This, this, this was simply a tyrant.

Compared to this, Wei Jiao seems to have become the well-behaved child.

Oh right, the reason everyone is gathered at the ancestral hall today is actually to prevent Wei Jiao from going crazy and destroying the ancestral hall.

But now, thinking back, I can't remember Wei Jiao at all!
“She doesn’t even respect the Empress, the Princess, or the Marquis of Yichun, let alone us,” Wei Cui said with a smile.

"How could Deng Shan raise such a daughter?"

"Was it intentional for him to marry his daughter to us?"

"It was definitely intentional!"

"The General can't let her get away with this! Write to Deng Shan! Tell him to send someone to teach her. If he won't, we'll teach her for him!"

Although he had already guessed that this Miss Yang was not a good person, seeing her in person made him even more disgusted. Wei Cui suddenly understood how the Empress of Yichun felt.

But, never mind.

Wei Cui waved his hand to stop everyone. The matter was to be kept secret. Even with his clansmen, he would remain wary until the matter was accomplished and would not tell them the real plan.

"Calm down, calm down," he said, smiling kindly. "She's just a child, don't take it to heart."

(End of this chapter)